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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23309941">i must be dreaming</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/unseeliekey/pseuds/unseeliekey'>unseeliekey</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>New Dangan Ronpa V3: Everyone's New Semester of Killing</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Flirting, Fluff and Angst, M/M, Trust Issues, bc its kokichi, its love hotel time babey</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-03-25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-03-25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-01 14:23:05</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,823</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23309941</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/unseeliekey/pseuds/unseeliekey</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>"Take a deep breath. It's okay. I love you."</p><p>In this fantasy you might, Kokichi thinks. In this fantasy, maybe he does love Kokichi, but that doesn't make it real. Just another lie. Just like everything else here.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Oma Kokichi/Saihara Shuichi</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>678</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>i must be dreaming</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>hi its me again, still trash<br/>if you're wondering about my other dr fic, it's still coming! i've just lost my progress for it TWICE and needed a bit of a break. i've got like..... several omasai fics in my docs. im in hell.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“This is a big joke,” Kokichi announces, turning the key over in his hand. <br/>The empty casino stares back at him, still lit even when the rest of the school is dull and dyed blue with night. The slot machines look like they’re smiling. The irrational stack of prizes looms ahead- each item too tailored and specific to be anything but a trap.<br/>Is anything in this school real? Sometimes he wonders if the walls themselves are holograms. He can’t trust his own mind, here. Not that they’ve ever been rubbing shoulders, his mind and him. They’re not the type to get drinks together, just to spike other people’s and laugh from two corners of a bar.<br/>Boy, is it late. That’s why he’s not making any sense. That’s why he’s in the school’s shitty casino (a casino? In a school? It’s less believable than the bullshit about Kirumi’s past.) staring out at the hotel. It pulses like a joke.<br/>“And it’s not even funny,” he continues, talking right at the big, stupid sign, where he imagines they’ve got a camera hooked. He hopes he makes eye contact sometimes, when he does his big, dramatic reveals, that sometimes when he looks up he gives the viewers a fright before he looks away. “I can’t imagine this going well for anyone. Heartbreak and misery, and bad dreams when they can’t play along.” His lip curls, although it's not entirely a conscious decision. He’s still workshopping this character. “Just how I like it.” Was that too much? He’s sure Shuichi would see through it in a second, and then second guess himself until he ends up not saying anything. Where does all that assertiveness go outside of the trials, mister detective? Surely that confidence isn’t just adrenaline. Kokichi’s waiting for the day Shuichi yells at him.</p><p>But Shuichi isn’t here, just the lights and the echo of Monokuma's words- <em>you'll be in someone's dream</em>- and the shitty game he spent all day grinding. Unless Shuichi is here, which would be pretty funny. Hey! Fancy meeting you here. About to perv on your classmate's deepest desires, too?<br/>Kokichi wouldn't put it past him; all for the sake of information and all. That's why he's doing it too, after all. Sure, it's late and he hasn't slept in a few days and he's in a bit of a manic phase that's led to him rearranging Miu's bedroom for her and drawing up a new set of blueprints that might just make some of his plans a reality, but really, this is just information gathering. Best case, he learns about someone's murder fetish ahead of time. Worst case, he ends up with some new blackmail info and has to puke after he finds out whatever Miu's into. Or Momota. Or Shinguji. Or any of the numerous freaks in this school.</p><p>For a moment Kokichi pauses, only a few steps from the door, and he thinks about someone diving into his deepest fantasy. What would that even be? Not here, surely. Maybe they'd step into a meeting of D.I.C.E. as his... romantically involved second in command? No, that makes him feel skeezy to even picture. Maybe a rival thing, that seems up his alley. <br/>(really, he knows what they'd step into, but it's embarrassing and childish and he can't picture anything worse than his dream-self turning to a person in this school and saying "<em>mister detective?</em>")</p><p>Whatever. He'll rob them all if he has to make sure none of them get to this hotel. Might as well use it if no one else will get to, right? Recovering his smirk, hoping the cameras missed how he faltered, Kokichi sticks the key in the lock and turns it decisively. "Honey, I'm home~!"</p><p>"Welcome back," says Shuichi Saihara, standing by the most hideous bed Kokichi has ever seen and a rack of sex toys. "Surprise! I'm back." <br/>He seems to register Kokichi's shock, because he laughs, looking almost sheepish. "I know I've been away a lot lately, and the case is taking longer than I expected, so I thought I'd head home for the weekend. I missed you so much."</p><p>Kokichi notes both that Shuichi is a workaholic even in his deepest fantasy, and that it is a Wednesday. "Uh huh," he says, slowly letting the door close behind him. This setting isn't part of Shuichi's fantasy, surely. This'll be the fucking hotel at work. "How's it going, then?"</p><p>"We've had a breakthrough," Shuichi says, sitting down on the bed and stretching his legs. The carousel horse turns slowly. "I'm so glad, I really think we're close to getting it. I can't wait to finally tell the family." </p><p>For a moment, Kokichi blanches, thinking that Shuichi means<em> their</em> imaginary dream-family, before he realizes that Shuichi probably means the victim's. "Oh," he says. He's really and truly thrown. He didn't think too much about this possibility, because that started to feel a little too much like hoping than thinking, so he's not prepared. He was more prepared for Miu to throw something truly sick at him than this. But he's Oma Kokichi, the supreme leader- or at least, he has the memories to back that particular lie up. (Also as believable as Kirumi's backstory. Come on, the super high school level supreme leader? He ran a gang. God, he hopes he did.) Ultimate supreme leaders don't let themselves get dampered by schoolboy crushes. "I'm sure they'll be relieved. You've done so much for them already." The words feel bland in his mouth. Earnestness doesn't suit him. </p><p>Fortunately, Shuichi is so hopped up on Monokuma's weird dream machine (if this <em>is</em> Shuichi and Kokichi isn't the one dreaming- he doesn't trust anything here as far as he can throw it) that he doesn't see Kokichi, just his perfect partner plastered over Kokichi's face. "Thanks," he says, looking a little abashed- still as allergic to compliments when asleep. "But I doubt they'll be as relieved as me now that I'm back home."</p><p>"Oh my god, did you just one-up a murder victim's family?" Kokichi asks, some weird breathy sound leaving his mouth. It was a laugh, he realizes. He doesn't like it creeping up on him like that.</p><p>Shuichi looks suitably sheepish, again, but he stands up and crosses over- which is too much for Kokichi's liking, thank you. This was much safer with him sitting on the bed, all the way across the room. Even worse, he doesn't stop moving until he's right up in Kokichi's bubble- um, personal space?- and then <em>he reaches up and holds Kokichi's face in his hand.</em><br/>"There you are," demon Shuichi says, his fingers curling over Kokichi's jawbone, so tight and gentle that it fucking <em>hurts</em>, tight and slow and poisonous as a bee sting. </p><p>"Here I am?" Kokichi echoes still-kind-of-breathily. No social boundaries Shuichi has kind of got him distracted, haha.  </p><p>Shuichi's eyes melt until they're half full in a way that shouldn't be allowed by anyone. "You were kind of stiff when you got back. I was worried you were mad at me?"</p><p>"Why on earth would I be mad at you?" Kokichi demands, bad-flustered. Dream Shuichi is a little too perceptive for his own good. Kokichi was kind of banking on him being too dreamy to notice him acting weird.</p><p>Shuichi laughs, and he still doesn't release Kokichi's poor face from his poisonous grip. Maybe this really is a hell made by Monokuma. The secret third motive- convincing Kokichi to kill himself before he has to look at real-Saihara again. "I don't know! You have weird reasons, sometimes. Remember when I ate all your toffees when I was working that case?"</p><p>"You don't even like toffees," Kokichi says, too distracted by the fact that Shuichi's ideal fantasy involves someone getting mad at him for weird reasons to be actually mad about this imagined slight. Mostly.</p><p>"See?" Shuichi laughs again, and, oh, hey, there's his other hand. "Stop pouting," he says, his voice going very soft, very suddenly, and he must be really seeing his ideal partner now because Kokichi is not pouting. (And if he was, he's right. Shuichi doesn't even like toffee, or any chewy sweet. He must not have been paying any attention to anything.) "It was months ago."</p><p>"It was a grievous breach of trust," Kokichi mumbles, doing his best to stick his nose in the air despite the sense of being well and truly kabedon-ed. Which would usually excite him, but there's a difference between sexual tension kabedons and.... this. </p><p>"I think I can make it up to you," Shuichi murmurs, his voice dipping down, and all Kokichi can think is <em>oh no</em> before Shuichi leans down and he whites out.</p><p>Shuichi tilts his head, nudging their noses together like- not even a tease it's <em>shy</em>, just an acknowledgement, like he wants to feel Kokichi, like this kiss is the most intentional thing he's ever done. <em>I should stop him,</em> Kokichi thinks as Shuichi presses their foreheads together, as he strokes Kokichi's cheek, as he leans down to kiss the corner of his mouth, as he murmurs <em>"you're so tense,"</em>  with a little, nervous laugh, as he finally, finally slots his mouth over Kokichi's just before he loses his mind.</p><p>It's Kokichi's first kiss. Faintly he registers that there's something ironic about never feeling safe enough to get close to someone like that, until he was here. In the middle of a killing game. With someone who is maybe not even real and definitely won't remember. Maybe that's why it feels safe?<br/>But he knows that's not true, as he leans into it, nips at Shuichi's bottom lip just when he tries to pull away, feels his laugh on his own, open mouth. </p><p>"I think this is the most still I've ever seen you," Shuichi comments, and laughs again when Kokichi's nose wrinkles. He's laughing a lot. Kokichi's never seen him laugh this much before. He kisses his nose, which makes him crinkle it more. Shuichi's hands slip down to lace with his. "Are you okay?"</p><p>Kokichi looks up at him, the creases under his eyes, like- honey, or a light beer that Kokichi has drank far too much of. There's a mole under his eye. Kokichi's seen it before, after the disastrous bug party, but his gaze hooks on it here, and he can't quite look away. He has to force himself to catch his breath. </p><p>"Just missed you," he says. A lie. He saw Shuichi a few hours ago, when he got caught breaking into Momota's room. Saihara was not too fond then. </p><p>Shuichi's face just- he looks like that was the best thing he could have ever heard. Like Kokichi dumped a bundle of puppies in his lap. "I missed you too," he says. He lifts up Kokichi's hands, squeezes them tight. "Sorry to- hover. You know me, I just get-"</p><p>"Anxious?" Kokichi cuts in, some of the tension leaving his body. He just has to pretend to be Shuichi's ideal partner. He's a great actor. This will be a piece of cake.</p><p>"Exactly." Shuichi lifts their hands, presses a kiss to Kokichi's knuckles. "And I'm still figuring you out, you know. You're my favourite mystery."</p><p>"Ugh." Good god, that line. It's so cheesy and over the top and very Shuichi, if he weren't so shy. "Sai- Shuichi, you're pretty cheesy for someone who took so many infidelity cases so young."</p><p>"H-hey!" Shuichi drops his hands (a relief), turning pink. This is much more familiar territory than that frightening, bold Shuichi. "What, it's true." He puffs his cheeks out, defensive, and Kokichi doesn't have to force the smirk on his face. "You really are. You're the most interesting person I've ever met, Kokichi. Even if that means you're a little hard to read, sometimes." The soft smile is back, even if he's still blushing, and he looks like-</p><p>"What." Kokichi takes a step back, his stomach going cold. "What did you call me?"</p><p>"Kokichi?" Shuichi- Saihara steps forward again, his brow creased in concern. "Um, I said you were a little hard to read. I didn't mean it as a bad thing! I mean, you know it can be frustrating sometimes, but really-" He picks up Kokichi's hand again, before he can snatch them back. "Kokichi, I like that part of you. I like how you play games and tease me, and how you make me work to find out what you're thinking. I just wish I was better at it."</p><p>Kokichi. Kokichi. Kokichi. He tries to step back, but it pulls on Shuichi's hand, and he moves with him, growing more and more concerned. "Darling?" Shuichi asks, the petname like a punch to the gut. "I'm sorry, I didn't realize something was wrong. You've been strange since you got back in-" the rest of his words get dialled out as Kokichi bemoans how he thought a detective wouldn't be paying attention in a fantasy. And in this one they're clearly -<em>close</em>, so of course he'd act on it.</p><p>It's fine. He misunderstood Monokuma. This doesn't mean he's- this doesn't mean the fantasy was meant for him. Shuichi was just able to recognize him, that's all, and is using his face and name as a placeholder for the ideal person. It doesn't mean anything. It doesn't.</p><p>"Shuichi," Kokichi says, and then stops, because he's not sure where he was going with that. His mind is running all at once, and his earlier mania has fallen on him like a pound of wet sand. It's the same awful hope-panic combo that made him avoid thinking of this scenario, that made him not want to use the key in the first place, only a thousand times more panicy.</p><p>"Kokichi," the detective echoes, wrapping his arms around Kokichi's waist and he's going to scream, he really is. "Take a deep breath. It's okay. I love you."</p><p>In this fantasy you might, Kokichi thinks. In this fantasy, maybe he does love Kokichi, but that doesn't make it real. Just another lie. Just like everything else here.</p><p> </p><p>He's not sure when he falls asleep or when it ends, but he wakes up with the feeling of arms around him and someone whispering comfort in his ear.</p><p>--</p><p>Kokichi doesn't attend breakfast. He often skips, though, so it's no big deal to anyone but Miu, who might want to discuss bug vacuum plans and show off her (admittedly great) progress on those hammers. </p><p>Which is why, when someone knocks on his door after breakfast should well and truly be over, he just stares at it.</p><p>"Ouma-kun?" Someone calls, and his first thought is oh no, and his second thought is I hate this place, and while those two are commiserating, some terrible third part of his brain is already walking over and opening the door.</p><p>Shuichi Saihara stands there, a plate full of toast in his hand. It's probably cold by now. It's covered in strawberry jam, the way Shuichi hates and Kokichi loves. </p><p>"What," Kokichi says, because a part of him is too emotionally drained to play with his masks.</p><p>"I- I thought you might be hungry," Shuichi says, holding it out. </p><p>Kokichi eyes the toast. It could be full of poison. Shuichi might have finally snapped and decided to become the blackened. He takes it, hesitantly. And then, because he's not hesitant about taking food, summons up one of his masks. "Nishishi. Was Saihara-chan worried about me?"</p><p>"I- I just noticed you weren't at breakfast, and I thought.... you sometimes miss it, and Kirumi isn't here to look after us anymore, so..." He trails off, and makes an aborted gesture like he's reaching for a hat. "You don't have to eat it."</p><p>Kokichi doesn't answer that, instead staring carefully at Shuichi's face. "Sleep well, Saihara?"</p><p>"Uh- not- not really?" Shuichi rubs the back of his neck, brow furrowed. "I mean, I had this really intense dream, and I woke up feeling kind of drained from it." </p><p>Of course Shuichi is the type of person to tell others, practical strangers and potential supervillains, all about his super interesting dreams. "Nightmare, then?" Kokichi says, trying to pretend he's not a little bit guilty.</p><p>Shuichi frowns, brow furrowed, and he glances sideways. "Not... really. I mean, I was drained, but-" His cheeks are turning pink again. "It was nice. Sorry, this isn't very interesting."</p><p>"I'll say," Kokichi agrees readily, arching an eyebrow. Then, because he's either a masochist or crazy, he breaks out into one of his classic excitable grins. "Just kidding! I want to hear all about Saihara-chan's dreams. Was I in it?"</p><p>Shuichi's mouth opens. Then it closes. His face slowly turns redder and redder as he stares at Kokichi like he's never seen him before. He mumbles something and then turns around to leave, practically shuffling down the hallway.</p><p>Kokichi, holding the toast, doesn't think he could stop him.</p>
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